Buying a gently used dryer makes sense for this family

My old clothes dryer was a GE and it lasted close to 18 years. So when it came time to get a replacement I was looking for another GE model or one of the name brands. I stopped by our local big-box store and saw models from about $450 up to more than $1,200. All of the lower-priced units were off-model brands.

One thing that did catch my eye was the size of some of these. Not so much the whole machine itself but the size of the drum inside. Our old dryer was kind of wimpy in that department, and because of that, it seemed to take forever to get things dry. Common sense and logic dictate that a bigger drum means better drying ... at least with the same amount of clothes. All the extra room means more airflow and a lot less density. Since we would still be using our basic washer, which has not gotten any bigger, this would help immensely in the drying times.

New means $$$$, used only $$

Throwing in a new $800 to $1,000 expense into the family budget is nothing to take lightly. If you can afford that, great for you. My bank account would be envious of yours. But for us, we needed to be a bit more conservative in our spending. With that in mind, I began searching for a decent used model. Here the choices are a bit slim, but considering it was summer and we could line-dry stuff, I wasn't pressured into any kind of fast time frame.

I began my quest using Craigslist. It took a few weeks but I eventually found something that looked promising. It was BIG ... a 7.3 cubic-foot model, a GE brand, electric (like our old one ... running gas would be a new added expense) and the price was great. My kids dig the new glass door, too ... perhaps it will entice them to do their own laundry?

My “used” unit was still fairly new by appearances and my quick Internet research. The folks that were selling it got it from some tenants that moved out and didn't have room in their moving truck. Their poor planning and/or possession of too much other stuff was my win.

It took four weeks of diligent effort to sniff out a good deal, and the timing to be first in line with the cash. If time is something you lack, then you may need to pay more and get what is immediately available, or settle for something less than what you want.

Self-Serve Pickup

Another cost saver for us was that I have a truck, and could transport the clothes dryer. Some people say that they get free delivery and pickup with appliance purchases ... this may be true but that just means that price is already factored into the appliances' fixed costs. I took our old unit to the metal recycle yard ... for free, and picked up the new unit after work one evening. I had it up and running the next day with some new venting.

Energy Savings

Since we've been using our new “used” dryer, I have been very happy. The time it takes to dry a full load is about half of what our old dryer required. I'll keep an eye on the meter, but I'm hoping for savings of about 20 percent over our former usage.

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